WWFF15: ALUMNI WEEKEND

Will Write For Food is differenter than ever.

Seldom do city leaders spend millions of tax dollars to buy a homeless shelter. Then again, those leaders made shelter owner Sean Cononie promise not to show his face in town again for 30 years. Don’t see that very often, either.

There’s much more to the story, and that’s what you’ll cover at WWFF15. First, let’s cover the basics…

When is this?

Labor Day weekend. We’ll start promptly at 4 pm Saturday, September 5. We’re done by Monday, September 7, around daybreak. If you need to leave earlier or later, that’s fine and common.

Where is this?

Near Disney World. Haines City is about 25 miles from the Magic Kingdom. It’s 40 miles from the Orlando airport. If you’re flying in, we’ll pick you up and drop you off in a Homeless Voice van.

What do you pay for?

Everything but travel. If you live in Florida, you get $25 for gas. Outside the state, $100 for either airfare or a road trip. All meals are covered, and we put you up in motel rooms separate from the shelter.

What will we do exactly?

Exactly what you did before. Which is whatever you wanted. But we hope you’ll compare and contrast the new shelter to the old one, since you’ll have toiled in both places.

Am I automatically accepted?

No. So far, 46 alumni from all six classes – 2009 through 2014 – have expressed some sort of interest. We have room for around 20.

Who chooses the staff?

You do. Since 2010, alumni have chosen the next class. This time, you’ll choose each other. We’ll explain next month.

When do you need a commitment?

By 11:59:59 pm Friday, May 1. We know your heart is willing, but your schedule might be tight. Please tell us by the top of the month if you can’t come. Email Koretzkywith cancellations or questions.